The invention relates generally to welding systems and, more particularly, to a welding gas leak detection system and method.
Welding is a process that has increasingly become ubiquitous in various industries and applications. Such processes may be automated in certain contexts, although a large number of applications continue to exist for manual welding operations. In both cases, such welding operations rely on a variety of types of equipment to ensure the supply of welding consumables (e.g., wire feed, shielding gas, etc.) is provided to the weld in an appropriate amount at the desired time. For example, metal inert gas (MIG) welding typically relies on the integrity of shielding gas cables to enable a shielding gas to reach a welding torch.
In welding applications employing compressed gases, a gas supply is utilized to provide shielding gas that is conveyed through hoses or cables to a welding torch. Unfortunately, the gas hoses and cables or connections between them may develop leaks which cause the shielding gas to exit the welding system at an undesired location. Thus, shielding gas may be wasted and an insufficient quantity of shielding gas may reach the welding torch. Furthermore, environmental air may enter the gas cables and act as a contaminant that may adversely affect the weld.
There is a need in the field for techniques that might permit the detection of leaks that develop in welding gas lines both when commissioned as well as during use. There is a particular need for techniques that may allow for localization of detected leaks so that the systems may be appropriately serviced, components replaced, and so forth.